Planning on booking at the Conrad Maldives - any tips?

[Deleted member 29185]

Finally, our favourite ... the Beach Deluxe Villa:


This is inside the villa. Looking past the private courtyard to the main front door.


Looking back past the bed to the private courtyard


Bedroom


Patio and plunge pool with beach access to the left


Beach access from the beach. The whole villa is back there, yet entirely hidden

 

[Deleted member 29185]

The office


The private courtyard looking to the private spa


The spa gazebo!


The Outdoor Shower


The Room Water

 

[albyd]

Planning on using my Citi points (transfer to HHonors) to book at the Conrad Maldives in April/May next year.

Citi has offered double point redemption offer last 2 years (November) and I've booked for a week in Conrad Maldives for September. I booked ages before purely to ensure I had flight redemptions (got SQ Suites and J).
I'm not sure if you'd be at risk of missing out if you waited to see if Citi do another promo for Hilton points. I'm a diamond but not expecting an upgrade but will be welcomed if I get one.
I'm excited about the trip and thanks to everyone who has shared their experiences about this resort on this thread. I have two questions.I was hoping to get some guidance on:
I'm looking to book for the Ithaa restaurant. Interested in other forum members' views on whether lunchtime or dinner would be better. Assuming at night the seabed is lit up (ie there is something to see).
We're lucky accommodation and room are covered by points so this aspect won't be too expensive. How much should we budget for food for a week. Will help prepare my wife for any sticker shock

 

[Deleted member 29185]

How much should we budget for food for a week. Will help prepare my wife for any sticker shock

On the Ithaa question, I'll simply say we went for the morning tea (it was the only vacancy left as we left it too late to book) and we found it stuffy and hot. It was great to see and say "we've done that", but I doubt I'd be impressed by having to spend a whole meal there. Obviously others will disagree and I'll leave more knowledgeable comment to them.

Here's a sample of the in house drinks menu from 2 years ago. I think if you do a search, someone posted up a menu list, but it'd be oldish as well. Hopefully someone will have more up to date info.

 

[Cynicor]

Re Ithaa- Dinner is cooler and the big fish come along.

Lunch is more lit up and it can be hot as hell. You can see lots of smaller fish and it's like dining in an aquarium, but it's worth the extra for dinner.

I'm happy to respectfully disagree with Swanning- as CE says, the world would be a boring place if we all loved the same girl.

The amounts I posted up top are the amounts for food only. I'd say you are looking at around an average of (per person)100USD each dinner, maybe 50ish for any lunch and then 500 for flights, and probably 200-1000 for activities depending on what you are into.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I'm happy to respectfully disagree with Swanning- as CE says, the world would be a boring place if we all loved the same girl.

Now that would depend on whether that same girl was Jen Hawkins! I'm sure that runway slip added years to my life!! :mrgreen: ... and I have no problem with people disagreeing with me. Ithaa is a fairly unique place and many will like/love it, I'm just not one of them, but I would suggest everyone who goes, experience it at least once.

Another thing to consider, is the quantity of tours. We cancelled two tours as it was not leaving us much time to just enjoy the islands. We ended up doing whale sharks, Island hopping and jet skiing and that was plenty. For us, it was important to just chill out as well. Snorkelling the house reefs, strolling around the islands, lounging back with a coughtail, browsing the shops etc.

 

[Cynicor]

Absolutely agree about the tours. In my time there I've only done 2 dive afternoons and the whaleshark tour. And one half day of snorkelling on a private tour. Most days I'd just gym, yoga, breakfast, snorkel/swim all day, gym, dinner. (Too much food to gym only once!).

Now that would depend on whether that same girl was Jen Hawkins! I'm sure that runway slip added years to my life!! :mrgreen: ... and I have no problem with people disagreeing with me. Ithaa is a fairly unique place and many will like/love it, I'm just not one of them, but I would suggest everyone who goes, experience it at least once.

Another thing to consider, is the quantity of tours. We cancelled two tours as it was not leaving us much time to just enjoy the islands. We ended up doing whale sharks, Island hopping and jet skiing and that was plenty. For us, it was important to just chill out as well. Snorkelling the house reefs, strolling around the islands, lounging back with a coughtail, browsing the shops etc.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Oh, I forgot to mention having a massage. That was pretty awesome as well!

 

[Jurahn]

Interested to hear from anyone who's been to Rangali recently whether the manta rays still feed under the bridge, as some recent comments on Flyertalk seem to indicate they don't? We spent 5 nights at Rangali (Superior Water Villa) about 6 years ago, and would spend hours each night sitting on the bridge watching the numerous mantas swoop and glide about in the shallow water under the bridge that connects the two islands - absolutely magical experience and something I never expected to be able to see (I can't dive due to an inner ear problem, so visiting somewhere like Manta Point wasn't an option).

 

[Cynicor]

Last for me was 13 months and the mantas were less of a sure thing.

I get the impression that you need to spend a lot of time on the bridge to see them, now.

 

[Jurahn]

Last for me was 13 months and the mantas were less of a sure thing.

I get the impression that you need to spend a lot of time on the bridge to see them, now.

That's a shame, when we visited there were usually at least half a dozen or so there every night, regular as clockwork.

 

[Cynicor]

That's a shame, when we visited there were usually at least half a dozen or so there every night, regular as clockwork.

Yep, same on my first visit.

 

[boomy]

Looks like it’s possible to book water villas on base points ATM. Sweet deal if using 5th night free - 380k points for $7,000 (Flexi rate is $1,400 per night).

 

[Cynicor]

Yep, this has been the case for about a year now, and seems to be an ongoing thing. I actually prefer the beach villas tbh!

the Deluxe BV are under reno too, so they will be worth trying late this year or so.

Looks like it’s possible to book water villas on base points ATM. Sweet deal if using 5th night free - 380k points for $7,000 (Flexi rate is $1,400 per night).

 

[boomy]

Yep, this has been the case for about a year now, and seems to be an ongoing thing. I actually prefer the beach villas tbh!

the Deluxe BV are under reno too, so they will be worth trying late this year or so.

I've stayed in both beach & water villas and agree it doesn’t worth paying more for the latter, however for the same rate I would chose the water, just for the chance to score free upgrade or at least negotiate a better deal for Deluxe beach or water villa.

 

[Cynicor]

I've stayed in both beach & water villas and agree it doesn’t worth paying more for the latter, however for the same rate I would chose the water, just for the chance to score free upgrade or at least negotiate a better deal for Deluxe beach or water villa.

Yeah, the upgrade deals seem better. But I'd then be stuck in a WV over a BV if I didn't get a diamond comp upgrade (which we both know are very rare there). Hard call.
I'd probably book the WV, and if I didn't get an upgrade, ask for a downgrade to BV

 

[boomy]

Yeah, the upgrade deals seem better. But I'd then be stuck in a WV over a BV if I didn't get a diamond comp upgrade (which we both know are very rare there). Hard call.
I'd probably book the WV, and if I didn't get an upgrade, ask for a downgrade to BV

Another option is to book WV and if no free upgrade offered then ask to split the stay between both. Last time I paid almost $US500 per night for BV to WV upgrade for our last two nights. Wouldn’t pay that again but would prefer to stay few days in each to experience both villas.

 

[Cynicor]

Yep, agree. Exactly what I meant. Few nights on WV for the GF to experience it and then BV downgrade the rest.

Another option is to book WV and if no free upgrade offered then ask to split the stay between both. Last time I paid almost $US500 per night for BV to WV upgrade for our last two nights. Wouldn’t pay that again but would prefer to stay few days in each to experience both villas.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Are you two getting hitched or something?

For me, My favourite is the deluxe BV. That is perfect IMHO. We have tried the King Beach Villa, the Deluxe Beach Villa and the Premier Water Villa and although I'd be hard pressed faulting any of them, the DBV is a perfect mix of huge space, comfort, access and style.

I'd forgo the water villas for the deluxe beach villa, any day of the week!

 

[boomy]

Are you two getting hitched or something?

For me, My favourite is the deluxe BV. That is perfect IMHO. We have tried the King Beach Villa, the Deluxe Beach Villa and the Premier Water Villa and although I'd be hard pressed faulting any of them, the DBV is a perfect mix of huge space, comfort, access and style.

I'd forgo the water villas for the deluxe beach villa, any day of the week!

Did you try all these villa types in one visit?
May I ask how much all the upgrades cost?